Issues That Made You ANGRY While You Were A Jehovah's Witness

by minimus 49 Replies latest jw friends

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  minimus

  When I look back, I think of some things that really angered me about the Organization. I was raised as a Witness and I was taught from a very early age that "reaching out" was the most important things I could do in life. I was to reach out for "privileges" and get baptized. I was 9 when I took the plunge to become a "minister".

  After that I was the 'time keeper" for the Ministry School. And then I was "used" in the magazine and literature departments. Then I audited the books for the Presiding Overseer. In all my growing up years, I was groomed to be a MS and then an elder.

  When I finally became an elder, I was taught by the Organization and its reps that we must weed out "apostates" who might be in our midst. We were trained to look for signs of apostasy and root out anyone that might question the Organization and the mysterious Faithful & Discreet Slave. After working my way up to Presiding Overseer and then eventually going to a different Hall, I started to see that the Organization and its rules were wrong. They tried to keep people in bondage by making them feel guilty for missing a meeting or not going out in service on a Saturday morning. We were always counseling people, bringing them into the "backroom". We were made to feel special because we were appointed by Jehovah and Christ. HA!

  I get angry when I think of how dominating we were in other people's lives. We MADE people account to us and if they bristled at answering our questions, we used our authority to make them understand that if they didn't cooperate, we could easily disfellowship them for causing divisions or even loose conduct for flouting the authority of Jehovah God's elders.

  When I look back at how were trained to manipulate and actually damage persons, I feel ashamed and angry that I ever aspired to be in the leadership of this Organization!
• 

  Junction-Guy

  Three issues back then that really bugged me, and still can push my hot buttons today are:
  
  1. College education
  
  2. Dating
  
  3. School sports
• 

  crazyblondeb

  Not being allowed to do sports ticked me off. My teachers kept trying to get my parents to put me in college prep classes, and they wouldn't,

  What REALLY made me angry, and I was 7 yrs old at the time was when a trailer hitch fell on my little sister, who was 4 yrs old. It ripped her face open. Her eyeball had to be wired back together. She almost died because of the "no blood" crap. When she did get out of the hospital, they were "parading" her around!!

  Still makes me angry today!!

  shelley
• 

  lavendar

  Minimus,

  Are Elders and POs still like that? Or have they lightened up now-a-days?

  Thanks,

  Lavendar
• 

  Wordly Andre

  The fact that everything has demons, you can not be friend with people outside the faith, closed minded people inside the walls of the Kingdumb hell, retard issues of Awack and Watchterror, and that JW way of making people who have fallen either evil or blind, and the way the kind of protect the ones who are inactive, duhh how can you be inactive in your faith?
• 

  minimus

  Some elders are still "like that". Some aren't.
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  WTWizard

  All the attention to prevent fornication. It was so bad that they would prevent people from normal courtship. And then, when they did manage to get together, they did everything possible to bust it up. That "waiting until they are firmer in the faith" was really intended to allow someone else to take a potential spouse out from under someone's feet. And they would play that card all the time on the same "brother(??)" just to get them to pioneer or join the Value Destroyer Training School.

  And, with me, all they got was an apostate that is going to do everything possible to ruin the Watchtower Society for this.
• 

  lovelylil

  1. The harsh judging of others.............Romans 14:10

  2. The straining of the gnat and gulping down the camel (i.e. pedophiles allowed but beards are forbidden) Matthew 23:24

  3. Not caring for the needy in the congregation......James 1:27

  4. No love for others...............John 13:35

  5. The spiritual haughtiness and belief they have the only truth..........Revelation 3:17

  These are just a few, really I could go on and on and on..........Peace, Lilly
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  minimus

  LL, I agree!
• 

  Velvetann

  So much of it makes me angry that my whole childhood was devoid of fun and joy.

  Being teased at school mercilessly, because I was not allowed to stand for the lords prayer, anthem, or do anything that involved holidays, art work etc. I feel it gave me low self esteem and continued into my adult life. If parents are going to put their child into this situation they should home school them. Nowadays its not so bad but in the 50's and 60's in a small town it was horrible to be "different" The kids used to pretend I had fleas, and called me flea bag. I was clean and pretty. They threatened me and threw rocks at me when I was walking home from school. I was always terrified.

  Not being able to have friends, my Dad was a fanatic elder and he didn't think any of the Witness kids were even good associations.

  Being forced to study the publications and read the bible every week and then if I didn't understand it, my Dad would pound his fists on the table and yell at me. I wasn't allowed to read anything else unless I read and understood the Watchtower publications in full. So I had to sneak books from the library and read them when my parents weren't looking.

  Not being able to be in the School Band at school or on the school newspaper. I secretly tried for a while because I was sought out to participate but it involved staying after school and my parents kept a short leash on me. I couldn't hide after school extra ciricular activities. Also I was Not allowed to go on School Trips.

  Spending all my summer holidays going to unassigned territory and spending everyday knocking on doors and going to bible studies with interested people. We started at 9 Am and were out in service until 10 PM at night. My parents had so many studies ;-(

  I am angry that when I took my two little children to the book study the stuffy elders told me to keep them quiet or not to come. No helpful advice just stern lectures and NO love and concern. I finally just quit going to all meeting because my children were small and no one helped me with them.

  I am angry because the Jehovah's Witness religion made me feel guilty about everything and robbed joy from my life and my family.

  I could go on and on.